Removable partial dentures may have benefits for long-term
survival outcomes suggests a recent study published in the Journal of Dentistry
The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the use of
removable partial dentures (RPDs) has an effect on long-term survival outcomes
amongst partially edentulous adults.
Data were extracted from the Third National Health and
Nutrition Examination Survey and linked to public-use mortality files for the
period up to 2019. Partially edentulous adults with fewer than 20 teeth were
included. RPD use and dentition status were determined by clinical examination.
The cohort was propensity score weighted to create a sample which was balanced
across 27 covariates (sociodemographics, health behaviors and insurance,
laboratory markers, and general health status). Survival analysis was
undertaken to compute absolute (mortality rate and median survival time) and
relative (event time ratio [ETR]) measures of exposure effect.
Results:
- The analyzed cohort included 1246 participants,
which equated to 22,557 person-years of follow-up. - The difference in all-cause mortality rate
between RPD wearers and non-wearers was found to be –6.5 (95% CI: –11.6 to –1.4),
with the median survival time in RPD wearers being 3.1 years longer (20.3 years
versus 17.2 years). - A 26% increase in survival time was observed in
RPD wearers (ETR: 1.26, 95% CI: 1.17 to 1.37) and it was found that, for every
7.5 individuals treated with RPDs, one death would be prevented after 10 years
of treatment.
The use of RPDs may have long-term benefits in reducing
mortality amongst adults with a non-functional dentition, but further research
is needed to validate these findings and assess the factors mediating the
relationship. The use of RPDs may have long-term benefits in reducing mortality
amongst adults with a non-functional dentition.
Reference:
Nasir Zeeshan Bashir, Eduardo Bernabé. Removable partial
dentures and mortality among partially edentulous adults, Journal of Dentistry,
Volume 126, 2022, 104304, ISSN 0300-5712, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jdent.2022.104304.
Keywords:
Nasir Zeeshan Bashir, Eduardo Bernabé, Removable, partial,
dentures, mortality, among, partially, edentulous, adults, Journal of Dentistry,
Dentures, Epidemiology Mortality, Public health, Survival